Maha Sivarathiri is celebrated on the13th lunar night / 14th lunar morning of Krishna Paksha (waning season of moon) Triyodashi / Chaturdhasi in the month Maagha (Maasi in tamil calendar, mid February to mid March).
Our ancestors understood the science behind changing weather and its impact on human beings, designed celebrations and rituals accordingly. Shivarathiri is one such important tradition, celebrated during the transition of winter to spring
Why is Sivarathiri celebrated on 13th night of Maasi?
All flora and fauna hibernates during winter and starts germinating during spring. Maasi month being the late winter and marks the beginning of spring is one important month in which human body undergoes transition due to changing weather conditions. Moon's ascent and descent has drastic influence in human body and hence the full moon day and new moon day is observed. According to research, moon's rotation angle has a huge impact on human brain, digestive and reproductive organs. Especially in winter, the 14th day of descent this effect is believed to be increased due to the long distance of sun and earth. Hence our ancestors marked this day for celebration as Maha Sivarathiri and have designed some practices to be followed.
How is Maha Sivarathiri Celebrated?
During Maha Shivarathiri, people fast on the 13th night, breaking the fast on 14th day morning after sunrise (the day before the new moon day), perform abhishekam, pooja with Bilva (Vilva) leaves staying awake whole night in temple reciting Shiva Maha mantra / Rudram.
Significance
Shiva Lingam is made of a special granite. Lingam structure is believed to have a property resonating cosmic vibrations.
Abhishekam is done for Lingam, water being colloidal nature yields a powerful medicine when it comes with contact to cosmic resonance. Combined with bilva leaves it makes a magical preventive medicine.
Fasting helps to keep human body intact. The abishekam water in empty stomach is absorbed easily in our body as there is no other element to suppress the medicinal power of theertham.
Human beings are susceptible to lung and respiratory diseases when winter transits to spring. Bilva leaves are a powerful preventive medicine. By smelling the bilva leaves, drinking the abhishekam water acts as an antidote preventing diseases resulting from climate transition. The same principle of inhaling medicinal leaves / flowers is rediscovered as aroma therapy in modern age (What we grow as flowering / herbal plants in our home garden, we buy as essential oil).
Reciting Mantras activates the acu points in human body, transfers energy all over the body, helps to ease physiological changes needed during transition. Mantra recital is part of the music therapy followed in recent days.
Now, we change our time as daylight saving twice a year and force our body to adjust to the new timings with the difference in the distance between sun and earth. Our ancestors found this thousands of years ago, marked the transition time with specific ritual / celebrations helping mankind to live long peacefully (both mentally and physically)
We spend money for each of this therapy session unaware of the fact that we have it already in our day-to-day practices. We tend to ignore what comes for free in the name of superstition and spend money and effort for the same result calling it modern therapy.
Long live our sixth sense!
Chaturdashi of Sukla Paksha (brighter lunar month) is celebrated as Naraka Chaturthi (Diwali)
Source
Indian Knowledge Systems
Scientific Information of Mahasivarathiri
Mahashivaratri
Bilva Tree
Hindu Calendar
Hindu Calendar Wiki
Radio Active Moon
Moon is the target for high energy cosmic rays
Cosmic Rays Wiki
Our ancestors understood the science behind changing weather and its impact on human beings, designed celebrations and rituals accordingly. Shivarathiri is one such important tradition, celebrated during the transition of winter to spring
Why is Sivarathiri celebrated on 13th night of Maasi?
All flora and fauna hibernates during winter and starts germinating during spring. Maasi month being the late winter and marks the beginning of spring is one important month in which human body undergoes transition due to changing weather conditions. Moon's ascent and descent has drastic influence in human body and hence the full moon day and new moon day is observed. According to research, moon's rotation angle has a huge impact on human brain, digestive and reproductive organs. Especially in winter, the 14th day of descent this effect is believed to be increased due to the long distance of sun and earth. Hence our ancestors marked this day for celebration as Maha Sivarathiri and have designed some practices to be followed.
How is Maha Sivarathiri Celebrated?
During Maha Shivarathiri, people fast on the 13th night, breaking the fast on 14th day morning after sunrise (the day before the new moon day), perform abhishekam, pooja with Bilva (Vilva) leaves staying awake whole night in temple reciting Shiva Maha mantra / Rudram.
Significance
Shiva Lingam is made of a special granite. Lingam structure is believed to have a property resonating cosmic vibrations.
Abhishekam is done for Lingam, water being colloidal nature yields a powerful medicine when it comes with contact to cosmic resonance. Combined with bilva leaves it makes a magical preventive medicine.
Fasting helps to keep human body intact. The abishekam water in empty stomach is absorbed easily in our body as there is no other element to suppress the medicinal power of theertham.
Human beings are susceptible to lung and respiratory diseases when winter transits to spring. Bilva leaves are a powerful preventive medicine. By smelling the bilva leaves, drinking the abhishekam water acts as an antidote preventing diseases resulting from climate transition. The same principle of inhaling medicinal leaves / flowers is rediscovered as aroma therapy in modern age (What we grow as flowering / herbal plants in our home garden, we buy as essential oil).
Reciting Mantras activates the acu points in human body, transfers energy all over the body, helps to ease physiological changes needed during transition. Mantra recital is part of the music therapy followed in recent days.
Now, we change our time as daylight saving twice a year and force our body to adjust to the new timings with the difference in the distance between sun and earth. Our ancestors found this thousands of years ago, marked the transition time with specific ritual / celebrations helping mankind to live long peacefully (both mentally and physically)
We spend money for each of this therapy session unaware of the fact that we have it already in our day-to-day practices. We tend to ignore what comes for free in the name of superstition and spend money and effort for the same result calling it modern therapy.
Long live our sixth sense!
Chaturdashi of Sukla Paksha (brighter lunar month) is celebrated as Naraka Chaturthi (Diwali)
Source
Indian Knowledge Systems
Scientific Information of Mahasivarathiri
Mahashivaratri
Bilva Tree
Hindu Calendar
Hindu Calendar Wiki
Radio Active Moon
Moon is the target for high energy cosmic rays
Cosmic Rays Wiki
1 comment:
Excellent! Thanks for this enlightening article Poornima, very informative and useful.
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